Pietro Gamba

(24 October 1925 - 23 December 2008, Italy)

Pietro Gamba was born in Varedo. He started his career in comics in 1948 when he collaborated with the publishers Agostino Della Casa and Giuseppe Caregaro (his first story was 'Kabor'). In 1950, he took over 'Kinowa', a series created by writer Andrea Lavezzolo and the EsseGesse collective. In 1954, he drew 'Zà La Mort' written by Gianluigi Bonelli, and two years later he came up with another version of 'Pecos Bill' with writer Cesare Solini. For the publishing house Dardo, he illustrated serials like 'Timbergek' (with Renzo Barbieri), 'Ray Fox' and 'Dick Cheyenne', as well as covers for 'Stormy Red'.

He worked with his cousin Francesco Gamba on the series 'Il Piccolo Ranger' for Bonelli. For Lug in France, he illustrated 'Billy Red', a series set in Louisiana of 1875, and also 'Zembla' and 'Hondo'. During his long career, he contributed stories to magazines and collections like Intrepido, Albi dell'Intrepido, Il Monello, Teddy Bob, Alboromanzo Vamp, Classici a Fumetti, Coyote, Albi Nuovi, Jolanka, Adamo, La Jena, Helga, Zakimort and Diabolik. In the last ten years of his life he made a weekly illustration for the Cronaca Vera magazine. He passed away in Barbaiana di Lainate in December 2008.